MODERNERABASEBALL.COM ANNOUNCES ITS FATHER’S DAY CONTEST WINNERS

New, Fast-Growing Web Site Receives Submissions From Eight Different States in the U.S., Plus Submissions From Canada, Making Decision-Making Process Tougher Than Anticipated For 7-Week Old Site

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - June, 17, 2001, Modernerabaseball.com, a new and fast-growing baseball Web site designed to provide Major League Baseball fans with unique perspectives and stories on the ModernEra Players, Managers, Characters, and Ballparks, today announced the winner of its inaugural Father’s Day Contest.

Dedicated in memory to an outstanding Dad, modernerabaseball.com announced its contest to pay tribute to father’s on June 5, 2001, and received a little more than a dozen responses up until last night’s midnight Pacific Standard Time deadline. The idea: reward one fan and two runners-up for submitting the most compelling father/son or father/daughter baseball memory.

“This was a far more agonizing process than I ever could have imagined,” said Joe Connor, the creator of modernerabaseball.com, who has covered the San Diego Padres for more than three seasons for San Diego area newspapers and visited every Major League ballpark and spring training facility. “I was up past midnight last night, and there were so many great stories submitted that it was tough to decide our winner! But what a great time I had. Many of the stories brought back memories of the strong relationship I had with my Dad, Joe Sr., who my site is dedicated to.”

After sleeping on it, Connor has chosen an incredibly well-written story submitted by Peter Goldfinger of Massachusetts as the winner of the modernerabaseball.com contest.

Goldfinger’s attention to detail and nostalgic references to history, tied in with the memories he shared with his Dad, proved the difference in topping the two runners-up, Molly Sheridan of California and Scott Whitney of Florida.

“On this day, the world as I know it melts away,” Goldfinger wrote. “On this day, I lie on the sofa and grin while throwing a baseball at the ceiling to see how softly I can graze it…On this day, I am eight years old. My Dad’s back is still strong enough to carry me on his shoulders from the Green Line to Fenway Park. I will bounce as he runs after my brothers who are trying to catch George Scott taking batting practice.”

“On this day, Dad will let me choose one condiment and show me how to score catcher’s interference,” Goldfinger continued. “…On this day, I will call my Dad and we will not talk about the state of my present income or those stupid tax forms… On this day, I suppose that I will take the day off from work, swing by the house where I was born and drag my Dad off for a couple of beers and a ballgame.”

For being selected the winner of the Father’s Day Contest, Goldfinger will receive a total of 10 prizes including:

- A free, size 12, left-handed Wilson baseball glove (for right-handed throwers)

- A free, 11-pocket CD Visor/organizer (perfect for the car)

- A free copy of "A Fans’ Guide To…The Ultimate Ballpark Tour" written by Connor

- A total of 10 free football magazines from Athlon Sports

- A total of $500.00 off the cost of attending Jerry Hodge’s Big League Fantasy Baseball Camp

- A proven, personalized fitness program at more than 50 percent off the actual value from world-class triathlete Eric Harr

- A free can of Innergize, an isotonic sports drink

- A free copy of Mike Lupica’s book for the fans, "Mad as Hell"

- A free copy of Charles Schwab’s audio book, "The Guide To Financial Independence"

- A free Los Angeles Dodgers pullover

- And a feature story on modernerabaseball.com, plus immense Brownie points from family and friends!

Sheridan and Whitney – the two runners-up - will each receive a free copy of Harr’s book, “Portable Personal Trainer,” which details the keys to achieving the fitness program right for you.

Here are excerpts of their submissions.

Sheridan:

“When I was nine or ten, my dad took a bunch of my friends and me to see the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. You know how kids are - they ask their friend and their friends ask their friends and so on, and although my dad had six tickets that were great seats right behind the Dodger dugout, somehow one too many kids got asked to come,” Sheridan wrote. “My Dad was the kind of guy that would never want to disappoint so all the kids got to go, so my Dad sat all by himself in the bleachers and got beer poured all over him by the drunks and all us kids were in the great seats.”